By Manny Piñol
One of Israel’s biggest agro-industrial company will submit this month a formal offer to the Philippine government to fund and build 6,200 units Solar-Powered Irrigation Systems (SPIS) costing P44-B.
The LR Group, a major agro-industrial company in Israel, was endorsed to the Department of Agriculture (DA) by Israeli Ambassador to the Philippines Rafael Harpaz during the Israel Chamber of Commerce business forum two weeks ago in Manila.
After two field surveys, one in Tagum City and the other in Llanera, Nueva Ecija, Avi Elkayam, a Tel-Aviv-based official of LR Group, said the Solar Powered Irrigation System project of the DA is viable.
“With Solar Powered Irrigation and Fertigation technology, the Philippines could easily double its production of selected crops,” Elkayam said.
The 6,200 units of SPIS will provide irrigation water to an estimated 500,000 hectares of rice farms and high value crops.
Among the crops which will be covered by the Solar-Powered Irrigation Projects are:
– Lowland rice farms;
– Upland rice farms;
– Sugarcane farms;
– Corn farms;
– High Value crops like coffee, cacao and other fruit trees;
– Coconut Plantations.
Ilan Weiss, chairman of the Innovative Agro Industry Ltd., a subsidiary of the LR Group, said the construction of the SPIS will be funded by a long-term loan payable in 10 years to be guaranteed by the Philippine Government.
He said the formal offer, to be endorsed by the Israel Government through Ambassador Harpaz, will be submitted to the DA Secretary next week.
(Photos were taken during the turn-over of the Caridad Norte and Sur Solar Powered Irrigation System in Llanera, Nueva Ecija. Shown in some of the photos are the Israeli agri experts Ilan Weiss, Avi Elkayam and Gallit Tamir of LR Group. Photos by Alan Jay Jacalan)
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